Pop culture is always an odd and fascinating thing to behold. Completely unpredictable fads and fashions slip in and out of the public’s consciousness like a pinball, bouncing rapidly from thing to thing in a tempest of lights and sound until it finally drops between the flippers. But neither the ball nor the fad is truly gone forever. They are just sitting in their hold, waiting for their turn to be shot back out onto the playfield.

If there is a proper way to celebrate the new year it’s with music, dancing, costumes, glitter, drinks and fun. And there is one thing that always promises to deliver all those things: burlesque. So this year celebrate the new year right with some of the country’s top burlesque stars! Read More…

We’ve been talking about it all month, but Halloween is almost here! As I mentioned before, this time of year, Halloween events flood our website and the burlesque events that roll through are always the most interesting.

I’ve been making an effort to feature as many as I can over the past month, so you probably saw my picks for the first half of October’s events already. Today, I will feature the other half of October’s shows so that you can hurry up and get tickets to these shows before they’re gone for good.

Check these out:

Austin, Texas

Friday, October 25 I 5th Annual T*ts-or-Treats Burlesque Show! The Bat City Bombshells present their 5th Annual Halloween Burlesque show that will scare your pants off! This is one of their FAVORITE shows of the year as we present all of their best spooky, creepy, and downright sexy routines that will leave you asking for more! The Bombshells are pleased to bring to our stage things that bump in the night, Molly Macabre, Chola Magnolia and Bethany Summersizzle! Stay after the show to enjoy drinks with the amazing band Palomino!

Chicago, Illinois

Friday, October 25 I HITCHCOCK – “A special edition of Naked GHOULS Reading” For the fifth year in a row, Naked Girls Reading Chicago is hosting its annual Naked GHOULS Reading Halloween spectacular. But this year will be even more special. The bare lasses have decided to scare their pants off with a variety of readings from the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. PLUS, there will be fun Hitchcockian themes for each segment (you will not want to miss this) AND a Hitchcock Costume Contest. So, don your best Psycho duds, grab a reservation and watch beautiful naked girls reading from some of literature’s most suspenseful moments. Read More…

Man, 2013 is shaping up to be the year of the inaugural burlesque festival. If you’re a regular reader of the Tuesday Tease, you’ve seen that we’ve featured a ton of them this year.

Surprisingly, Las Vegas, a city steeped in burlesque history, is having their first “neo-burlesque” festival this year. While the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend is probably the biggest event in burlesque today, it is mostly focused on the legends of burlesque and classic burlesque. Vegas hasn’t had a festival that focuses on solely on the “neo-burlesque” scene; those that are pushing the boundaries of burlesque and taking it into the future.

Cha Cha took some time out of her insane pre-festival schedule to talk to us about the burlesque scene in Las Vegas, where to find the “real” burlesque in Vegas and she even offers a little advice to those of you thinking of starting a burlesque festival in your own town.

Since 2006, the Jigglewatts have kept things hot and steamy in Texas and beyond. Members have headlined shows in New Orleans, Las Vegas, New York, Montreal, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Founder Coco Lectric also founded the Austin Academy of Burlesque, is a board member of Burlycon and started the Austin Burlesque Alliance, which gives Austin burlesque performers a forum in which to share ideas and collaborate.

I find producers like Coco so inspiring. Her lack of ego and undying support for her community and art form ensures the survival of burlesque as an art form for years to come. It’s producers like her that help burlesque continue to evolve and flourish.

I see this a lot in the burlesque world: performers attending fellow performers shows and cheering them on, producers staggering their shows so that they’re not competing for audiences and performers sharing their techniques with each other. It’s inspiring and I think other artistic communties should take note. Contrary to the notion that competition encourages quality, I’ve found that, in burlesque’s case anyway, collaboration has been the key to its survival, especially in close-knit communities like Austin, New Orleans or Seattle.

Coco’s been busy preparing for the Jigglewatts first full-troupe tour but she was kind enough to take time out to answer some of my questions and to offer her valuable advice to all you burlesque newbies out there.

Oh, and if you want to help the girls’ fund this tour, of course attend one of their shows but also visit their Kickstarter page. The campaign ends on Saturday, August 17 so you still got time to throw a little cash their way and get some great perks in return.